


Safety Net

by HawkyBarton



Series: OTP and Fanfic Brigade (Prompts galore) [47]
Category: The Avengers (Marvel) - All Media Types
Genre: Abuse, Angst with a Happy Ending, Bucky is accidentally a jerk, But he apologizes, But mostly fluff, M/M, Natasha is devious, Still a happy ending in part two, a bit of angst, a lot of bullying, and everything is okay again, and phil finds it adorable, but it's only kinda graphic, clint sucks his thumb, everyone else besides Nat and Phil and Clint are poopoo heads, prompt, thumbsucker!Clint, tony is a bit of a jerk
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2015-06-18
Updated: 2016-01-25
Packaged: 2018-04-04 23:20:12
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 4
Words: 2,818
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/4156773
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/HawkyBarton/pseuds/HawkyBarton
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Clint sucks his thumb. </p><p>Phil finds this adorable and will fight anyone to the death who thinks otherwise</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note:**

> Anon asked: Clint/coulson. Thumbsucker. In which clint sucks his thumb when stressed normally on missions. Team makes fun of him. After a mission phil cones home to ser clint suckng thumb. Fluff in the end

It was a habit left over from childhood. 

Clint always says he could stop if he wanted to. Keyword being _if.  
_

Clint knew it was stupid and childish, but he also knew it was better than slamming down a bottle of Jack Daniels and pretending everything was okay when obviously it wasn’t.

So, Clint was a 30 year old man who sucked his thumb in stressful situations. So What?

Clint usually reserved it for high-stress missions, just as a way to relieve some stress and gain some comfort. 

There were times when Clint had started to feel embarrassed over it, until Phil Coulson had told him it was ‘the cutest thing he had ever seen, and I swear to God Barton don’t you dare stop it’. 

So he didn’t. 

And it hadn’t been a problem until he had become an Avenger, and one Tony Stark just happened to notice this little habit of Clint’s.

The Avengers were on a mission (unfortunately without Phil this time. _Stupid Fury giving him his own team and his own bus. Making him Director and shit_ ) in the middle on New York, fighting of Doom and his ugly doombots. 

“Oh my god! Oh my god! EVERYONE! EVERYONE! Our dear Legolas sucks his thumb!” Tony Stark shouted over the comms between laughing. 

Clint immediately pulled his thumb out, threw his middle finger up, and tried to ignore the embarrassment curling through his stomach and all over his body. 

Clint thanked the god of all supervillians (Was it Loki? It was probably Loki) that a doombot headed straight for Tony, and the thumb-sucking was forgotten.

But Clint didn’t forget.

He was extremely stressed out about being embarrassed and about his thumb sucking, and a little bit of everything else, that he began to suck his thumb in earnest.

Which was how Phil found him when he got back from his mission three days after the debacle.

Phil sighed and put his duffle bag down, “Uh oh. I haven’t seen you this stressed in a long time.”

Clint turned his head and shrugged his shoulders, his thumb stuck determinedly between his teeth. 

Phil just shook his head and plopped down onto the couch and pulled Clint into his lap, “Spill”

Clint sighed and pulled his thumb out of his mouth long enough to say, “Tony saw me sucking my thumb. It embarrassed me” before sticking it back in again.

Phil made an ‘aha’ noise, and cuddled Clint closer to his chest. “And because of this you now want to stop sucking your thumb so he, and the others, won’t laugh at you?”

Clint nodded.

Phil just shook his head, “Don’t you dare Clint Barton. Sucking your thumb is nothing to be ashamed of, and if Stark or anyone else laughs at you, I’ll tase the life out of them. No one is taking away that part of you, got it?”

Clint gave Phil a smile around his thumb and nodded again. 

Phil smiled, “Good. You sucking your thumb is just too cute an image for me to let go of anyway.”

Clint chuckled and slowly pulled his thumb out of his mouth, not needing the safety net when he had Phil there to keep him safe and sane.


	2. The Backstory

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> 4 Times Someone made Clint feel bad about sucking his thumb, and One time He Knew it Would Be Okay

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Anon asked: Ohh my god. I loved saftey net. Can you please continue it. I really dont care how you continue it. But continue it. Please. And thankyou

1) Clint was 4 years old, and he was terrified. He had just watched his father bash his mother’s face in yet again.  
Clint knew he was next because Barney was at a friend’s house, so now Clint was hiding.

But hiding wasn’t really making him feel safe.

So, shuddering as close to the wall as he could in the cupboard under the kitchen sink, Clint popped his thumb into his mouth and sucked as hard as he could.

Clint had always been a thumb sucker. In later years some people would try to quote Freud to him, but right now, he was a four year old boy whose Safety Net was his thumb. 

“Just leave him alone Harold!”

“Shut up bitch! If that brat of yours is sucking his goddamn thumb again, I’m ripping the damn thing off!”

Clint sucked his thumb harder, squeezed his eyes shut tight, and prayed his father wouldn’t find him. 

Clint’s father hated when Clint sucked his thumb. 

“ _Only babies suck their thumbs. You ain’’t no baby. Act like a man and get your finger out of your damn mouth”_

Clint wanted to act like a grown up. 

Truly he did.

But his thumb, it made him feel so safe. 

Clint kept sucking his thumb and prayed that his father wouldn’t think to look in the cupboard. 

 

2) “Get your thumb out of your mouth!” Barney hissed to him as they were standing inside the biggest tent Clint had ever seen in his life. 

They had just run away from their latest foster family.

They hadn’t been to nice to Clint and Barney. They hadn’t really been nice to anyone.

So when Barney had seen an advertisement for the circus that was heading into town, Barney had packed up both of their things and off they went. 

Clint always followed what Barney said, because Barney was older and wiser, and would always protect Clint. 

But Clint was nervous, and his thumb was helping him calm down. 

“You’re ten years old for Christs-sake!” Barney continued. “Stop embarrassing me and get it out of your mouth, or we’ll have to go back to the Millers!” 

Clint gulped and slowly pulled his thumb out of his mouth, looking down at the saliva covered digit with guilty eyes. 

He really should stop sucking his thumb. 

Ten is way too old for such a habit, and it always bothered everyone he met. 

Maybe he should stop. 

Maybe.

 

3) Clint felt the cold water hit him, immediately waking him up from where he had been sleeping next to the animals. 

“Get up boy, and get your thumb out of your mouth!”

Clint immediately pulled the digit from his mouth and looked up into the eyes of his tutors, Jacques Duquesne and Buck Chisholm. 

Jacques and Buck had taken Clint under their wings a year ago (a year after Barney and Clint had first came to the circus) and were training him to be a ‘headliner’ (thief).

“You know Chisholm. I think we need a change of apprentice”

“Why’s that Jack?”

“We have a baby in our midst, who sucks his thumb instead of acting like a man. I do not think I want a baby to be our apprentice.... Maybe we should ask his brother”

“Sounds like a good idea”

Clint jumped to his feet as his heart went into his throat, “No! Wait! I’m not a baby, I swear!”

Buck looked down at him, “You sure kid? You do suck your thumb an awful lot...”

Clint looked down at his hands guiltily, he knew he should have quit two years ago, but it was just so _hard._ Now though, he had to quit (or at least try) or he would be thrown aside like an old boot. 

“I can stop, I promise”

Jacques smirked, “Be sure that you do”

 

4) Natasha was looking down at him, a smirk on her face.

“I did not peg you as a thumb-sucker Barton.”

Clint looked down to find that yes, he was sucking his thumb. Quickly pulling the finger out of his mouth, embarrassment tinting his cheeks, Clint just looked at the redhead. 

The two had only been partners for about a month, since it was only recently that Clint had finally brought the infamous Black Widow into SHIELD. 

But now though, now she knew his darkest secret, something no one else knew. 

_God this is terrible. She’s gonna be disgusted that a grown man sucks his thumb like a child.  
_

“Is it a problem?”

Natasha shrugged her shoulders, “Not really I guess. Just something to keep in mind for later”

_I guess. Information for later.... Dammit  
_

_Why does it always have to be so complicated with you Natasha?_

 

+1) Phil was giggling. 

_What in the world?_

It had been a month since Natasha had found out that Clint was a thumb-sucker (that horrifying, awful moment that it was), and so far - no one else had been told, so Clint thought he was in the clear. 

But why is Phil giggling?

Sliding into his boyfriend’s home office, Clint came face-to-face with a giggling, besotted looking Phil staring down at his phone. 

“Uh... Phil?”

Phil startled and dropped his phone into his lap. “Clint! Hello! You’re home early”

Clint nodded, “Yeah I am... and you’re giggling. Why are you giggling?”

Phil smiled and picked up his phone and turned it around to show Clint a picture of himself sucking his thumb.

_Oh god, he thinks it’s funny. God, he must think I’m such a dumbass for sucking my thumb. So much for this relation-_

“Natasha finally got me a picture of you sucking your thumb! You look adorable!”

_Wait what.  
_

“Wait. What?”

Phil’s smile got wider, “I’ve been meaning to get a picture of you sucking your thumb for a while now. Don’t know how Natasha knew I wanted this, but she texted it to me saying ‘you’re welcome’. So now I can finally-”

“Wait, you think I look cute? You’ve been wanting a picture of this for awhile?”

Clint was astounded. 

Phil put his phone down, “Of course... Why?”

“Most people usually think I shouldn’t suck my thumb. Only babies suck their thumbs, and I should act like a man”

Phil blinked and set his phone down, “I don’t know who said that to you Clint, but they’re idiots. You look adorable sucking your thumb, and fuck whoever tells you that you shouldn’t do it”

Clint looked at Phil, knowing the man was speaking the truth.

“You’re the best boyfriend ever Phil, you know that?”

Phil smiled and pushed his chair back (a sign meant for Clint to come over and sit in Phil’s lap for a cuddle, which he did immediately). “I know. Love you Clint, thumb-sucking and all”

Clint pressed closer to Phil, “Love you too Phil”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> (( You can prompt me if you wish for other fics, or for any ideas you may have about this fic at [ Hellogoodbye](http://hellogoodbye741.tumblr.com/ask) ))


	3. Ten Years into the Future

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Phil and Clint are now parents. 
> 
> One comes home crying

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Anon 1 asked: I really need more safety net please. 
> 
> Anon 2 asked: Please write more safety net and i go potty now!!!

It was the worst feeling in the world when your kid came home crying.

Clint bundled little Katie up, letting Phil deal with Skye, and walked to her room.

“Alright Katie-Kate, can you tell Papa what’s wrong?”

Kate tried to control her sobbing, her breaths coming out in little hiccups as she tried to talk.

“Shhh, shhh. Don’t talk just yet, just breathe for me. Breathe and get a little calmer before explaining to Papa what’s wrong. There we go Katie-Kate, just like Aunt Nat and Uncle Bruce taught you”

Kate eventually calmed down completely,  hiccup only escaping every once in awhile.

“Very good! You’re getting better! Now, tell Papa what’s wrong”

Kate scrubbed at her eyes, “The kids at school picked on me”

Clint’s heart broke just a bit.  A nice and sweet as kids could be, that’s cruel and mean they could be. “Tell me?”

Kate sniffed, “They called me a baby!”

Clint frowned, “Why?”

“Because I sucked my thumb!”

_Oh._ Clint and Phil were afraid something like this may happen to Kate. Luckily (or not so luckily if you were talking to Phil) Skye had not picked up Clint’s thumb-sucking habit, but Kate had. 

“Hey Katie-Kate, look at Papa”

Kate sniffed and looked into Clint’s eyes. “Whu?”

Clint smiled, “There are my favorite baby blues. Okay, answer me this. Do you feel like a baby when you suck your thumb?”

Kate shook her head, “No”

“Does Papa, or Daddy, or Skye think you’re a baby when you suck your thumb?”

“No”

“Do you think Papa is a baby when he sucks his thumb?”

“No”

“Does Teddy or Billy think either of us sucking our thumbs makes us babies?”

Kate shook her head extra hard, “No”

Clint smiled, “Then why should it matter what other kids think?”

Kate frowned, “Because I want them to like me?”

Clint rubbed his thumb over her cheek, “Then make them like you in other ways. Be the Katie-Kate I know you can be, and they won’t ever think you a baby just because you’re sucking your thumb. And if they don’t accept you for who you are, you don’t have to be friends with them - I promise.”

Kate sniffed and looked at Clint, “Really?”

Clint raised his hand to his heart,  “On Papa’s favorite bow, I promise”

Kate gasped, “On your bow?! Okay!”

Clint chuckled and gave her a kiss on the cheek, “Good. If they continue to pick on you, make sure to tel your teacher, and she’ll deal with it Okay?”

Kate nodded, “Okay Papa”

Clint smiled and ruffled her hair, “Good. Now, let’s see what Daddy and Skye are up to!”

Late laughed and ran out of the room, the incident forgotten. 

Clint hummed and followed her out into the living room where Phil and Skye were. Phil looked over the couch to Clint, raising an eyebrow. 

Clint just smiled and winked. 

Phil rolled his eyes, nodded, and went back to whatever arts and craft project he was doing.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> (( You can prompt me if you wish for other fics, or for any ideas you may have about this fic at [ Hellogoodbye](http://hellogoodbye741.tumblr.com/ask) ))


	4. Bucky Brings Some Pain

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Bucky didn't realize that his harsh words would hurt Clint so much (luckily, Clint is a pretty forgiving guy!)

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Anon asked: for the safety net thing (i know it's kinda far back there oops) can do a thing for phil defending clint about the thumb sucking? Maybe it's before they have the kids or whatever and it's coming from someone on the team?

The thing about Phil was that he could be so protective, to the point of out and out aggression.

If you were to threaten or harm (in anyway) one of his people - prepare to go down bitch.

And then there was Clint Barton.

An adorable little blob of garbage who sucked his thumb and never did any paperwork.

He was Phil’s favorite person, and hod forbid the man who dared to tease or hurt his blob.

Now here comes Bucky Barnes. A man out of time, and even more out of whack with the 21st Century than Steve or Thor.

Bucky is a man who could be very blunt. And not in a nice way either.

“What the fuck are you doing sucking your thumb?!?!”

Clint immediately pulled the thumb from his lips, and stood up with a blush.

“Uh.. I… Uhm….”

Barnes raised an eyebrow, “Uh?”

Clint tried to speak once more, but couldn’t. Feeling panic rise up until his body shook, Clint escaped the living room to his floor. 

 

*******

Phil came into their apartment in the tower, and frowned when he saw a curled up ball of clothes on the couch. 

“Uh… Clint?” He asked quietly. 

The ball moved slightly, but no sounds came from it. 

Phil sighed and moved to the couch, sitting next to the ball. “What happened”

The ball shifted until Phil could see Clint’s face, and that his thumb was nowhere near his mouth.

_Oh. So it’s like that, is it?_

Feeling anger rise in his chest, Phil’s jaw firmed as he stood up. “Who?”

Clint shook his head. 

“Who?!”

“Barnes” Clint said softly, knowing it wasn’t worth it to argue with an angry and protective Phil.

Phil nodded, “I’ll be back soon”

 

~

Phil stormed through the tower until he reached Steve and Bucky’s floor. 

slamming out of the elevator, Phil zeroed in on Barnes.

“You” He hissed out. 

Barnes frowned, “Me?”

“You upset Clint!” Phil spat out.

Barnes’ eyes went wide, “What? How?”

Phil growled, “How they hell do you think?”

Barnes looked around for inspiration, before he nodded. “Oh…. I didn’t realize”

Phil stepped forward, “You’re about to realize”

Barnes raised his hands. “Woah! Chill Phil, I didn’t think when I spoke… Back in the day, stuff like that wasn’t acceptable. I just started talking and before I knew it, Clint was running from the room. I didn’t realize he was that upset”

Phil’s shoulders dropped as the anger slipped away. “It’s a very sore spot for him”

Barnes winced, “Shit. I’ll go apologize”

Phil gave him a crooked grin, “That would be great….”

Barnes nodded, “It’s the least I can do since I was the one that made him upset”

Phil nodded, and away they both went. 

 

~

Clint was back to his ball shape when the two arrived back at their apartment.

“Clint?” Phil said softly. 

The shape moved, but didn’t make a sound. 

“Clint? It’s me - the asshole” Bucky said just as softly. 

The ball whimpered and the two other men winced.

“Yeah, that’s right - I’m an asshole” Bucky continued. “I was surprised earlier and said some dickish things. But I just wanted to apologize… You sucking your thumb is totally okay, I promise. Trust me…” 

The ball made a noise and unraveled itself. “Do you really mean it?” Clint asked with a vulnerable expression. 

Bucky nodded, “Oh yeah. You shouldn’t be ashamed of it… I mean, hell, everybody has their way of coping” 

Clint frowned, “Yeah?”

Bucky grinned, “Yeah.” 

Phil nodded and moved closer, “Bucky is correct baby.” 

Clint sniffed and gave a small smile before it evolved into a worried expression. “And you don’t think I’m a baby?” 

Bucky snorted, “Hell no. The only baby here is Stark” 

Clint, shocked at the answer, burst out laughing. Seconds later Bucky and Phil joined in, and everything was okay. 

For now….

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> (( You can prompt me if you wish for other fics, or for any ideas you may have about this fic at [ Hellogoodbye](http://hellogoodbye741.tumblr.com/ask) ))

**Author's Note:**

> (( You can prompt me if you wish for other fics, or for any ideas you may have about this fic at [ Hellogoodbye](http://hellogoodbye741.tumblr.com/ask) ))


End file.
